6pm.com is having one of their brand-clearance specials today. This time it’s on the Gabriella Rocha brand.

Prices on some shoe are as low as $4.95 - you can’t even beat those prices at Payless!

Many styles are on sale:

Juliette $7.95 $43

Glori $7.95 $65

Chill $4.95 $81

Mindola $7.95 $61

So, frugalistas: Go forth and shop

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I haven’t done any sale updates or shopping deals for awhile. So, today I swung by smartbargains.com.

What do you know?  They have a bunch of new boot styles in stock to whet your winter appetite.

You all know the only thing I love more than shoes & boots is finding them at a stellar price. Of course, the one caveat that is always true with Smartbargains is that quantities are always limited - and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

So, here are my quick picks great fall style and value:

London Fog ‘Zoey’ in black or chestnut;  $130 $79.99. This is a cozy, practical, cold-weather style.

Max Studio ‘Reunion’ in black or brown $260 $129.99. This has a rubberized sole - which I tend to find helpful in wet & icy weather.

Marciano Ellen $280 $99.99. Tread for winter weather and a high-heel; this is an interesting and sexy little loafer bootie - and it’s got a nice bit of tread on it as well.

Lovely People ‘Finley’ with faux-fur trim; $140 $79.99. A cute and warm-looking bootie; great for pairing with winter outfits.

Charles by Charles David ‘Pow Wow’ $165 $79.99. We haven’t seen the last of fringe yet. These are a nice nod to the moccasin-style inspiration without going too over the top.

Matisse ‘Sioux’ $188 $99.99 in black or brown. Yet another fringe style - this time with a tall winter/fall shaft.

Lovely People ‘Riddler’ $160 $79.99 in black, grey or cognac. A low suede style with a touch of the currently-popular metal-stud detail. Don’t forget to water-proof these!

Lovely People ‘Velma’ $160 $79.99 in grey, black or cognac. I love all the knotted straps on these. Plus, I have had a soft spot for grey, sueded boots for at least 20 years….. go figure.

London Fog ‘Foxy’ All-weather leather boots $135 $79.99. Can I just say ‘Wow!’. These are amazingly gorgeous - plus they’re waterproof. Sign me up.

Matisse ‘Brooklyn’ $175 $99.99. Another ‘I think I’m in love boot’…no particular reason. They just make me go *sigh*. A lot.

Other good news for frugalistas: Some of these boots are still in the ‘new arrivals’ category and are eligible for an additional 20% off at checkout (for a limited time).

So, is it time to go shopping yet?

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Last Monday, after picking me up at the airport, my hubby was kind enough to stop by Nordstrom as a way of killing time before meeting for dinner with the in-laws that evening (Our little town doesn’t get any fancier than Macy’s & TJ Maxx).  So, we did the mall walk-through, ending in the Nordie’s shoe department …. Oh, do they have other departments?

Anyway, they were just enough new boots on display to make me both excited and impatient for fall to be here already.  And, there was one purple ankle bootie that had hubby again acting the enabler to my shoe habit - All purple suede and a funky-tough zipper trim. “Hey Babe, you don’t really have anything in purple, do you?”.   (Really, this is why I can’t take the man shopping with me: I can say no to myself, but he has a bit of a tougher time of it….Of course, I suppose a gal could have worse issues to deal with than a hubby that wants to see her happy.)

And, I have to admit, I don’t have anything in my shoe-closet quite like this:

Steven by Steve Madden ‘Bevan’ $99.90 $168.95

But, I was good and didn’t try them on. After all, we had dinner plans and had the whole next day free before we needed to head back on the 3-hour drive back home.

Um, maybe not so good. Apparently, Nordstrom re-set their entire women’s shoe department overnight and these babies were nowhere to be found in-store come Tuesday.

But, all was not lost.  While no longer available at the local Nordstrom (I have a feeling The Rack could be seeing these shortly), a quick search at the Nordstrom website had these showing on sale for about $70 off. So, I guess, that’s not such bad news after all.

Now, at $100 these are a much better value than when they were at their original $170-ish pricing. Plus, Madden’s are a great fit on my higher arched feet; they are almost always true to size and ready to wear without my needing to run to the store for arch inserts.

And let’s face it. They’re purple! Maybe it’s time to dust of my Nordstrom’s card.

(Oh, and in case you are interested in these, they are also available in several other color and leather choices at Steve Madden, Zappos, and Endless)

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Let me start out by saying that I like summer as much as anyone. Warm weather and sunshine is nice, but after weeks of high-90’s temperatures, I am looking forward to more moderate fall temperatures.  Plus, my recent time in Las Vegas visiting with family may have left me feeling a bit ’summered out’ - at least for a while. Whatever the reason, I was thrilled to discover during this weekend’s window-shopping that shoe and department stores are moving past caged booties, gladiator sandals, and *ick* flip-flops and into fall-friendly closed-toe Maryjanes, ankle boots, and knee-boots.

Yay! Fall has some of the most delicious footwear - particularly if you are a boot-lover like me.

One thing I noticed after visiting several area stores is that grey boots, in particular, are calling to me this season.  Perhaps it’s a carry-over from walking through the Bellagio shops where I covetously petted these uber-soft, grey, majorette boots by Fendi that are, sadly, not even remotely in this year’s budget (But *Gasp*  - Love ‘em!):

(Fendi boots are $995 at Net-a-porter)

These Fendi lovelies felt soooo dreamy. There really is whole other level of softness that you don’t find in cheaper leathers. (Don’t even get me started about walking through Bottega Veneta and Hermes …. *Sigh*)

So, since I am obviously obsessing over grey boots, I want to show you the first ones that caught my eye while I was wandering the aisles at Famous Footwear yesterday.

But first….Why famous footwear?

Well, for anyone on a budget, the whole buy-one get one 1/2 off is always tempting:

But, even better, there’s also a limited-time coupon, effective until September 12th, that is good for an additional 20% off your total purchase. You can print a copy of this coupon from their website or use discount code 32BTSD9 if you are buying at their website online:

How cool is that?

Anyway, back to ogling cute little grey ankle boots…

The first ones that caught my eye were these Lifestride boots. They have a bit of the same saucy majorette attitude I see in the Fendi boots while not being too costume-y. I really like the contrasting black piping against the grey suede. Hubby, however, is less won over by these. Also, these were true to size but a bit snug at the heel; they would probably fit better on gals with slightly narrower heels.

Lifestride ‘Smith’ $59.99 $69.99 before sales discounts.(Also available in an all-black combo)

By the way - These looked great peeking out from under my jeans!

Also catching my eye were several pairs of boots by the Fergalicious brand. One thing is certain, Fergie’s brand has a good feel for producing fashionable styles that don’t break the bank.

I am in love with this next little bootie; all it needs to be a perfect fit is a little arch insert to accommodate my high-ish arches. It has a black faux leather upper with contrasting grey piping and and open toe. I am loving the look of these. They are a bit reminiscent of Gucci a few seasons back, but the added lacing on these gives them a retro bowling-shoe vibe that appeals to my love of both swing and rockabilly.  These would look fabulous with a 50’s-inspired sundress or 40’s-style pencil skirt.

Fergalicious ‘Margo’ $49.99 $59.99.

But, I really, really, love these little grey ankle booties.  Just look at that zipper and that cute little wearable heel. Plus, when I tried them on, they were so soft, it was like wearing little hugs for my feet. These are definitely tempting me to make a return trip to the store before that extra 20% coupon runs out.

Fergilicious ‘Tasha’ $59.99 $69.99.

And look, they also come in black….so tempting! Just because I am in love with grey doesn’t mean I can’t love other colors too….

And, just to satisfy my love of earth-tones, is this knee-high, Fergalicious boot; warm browns are a great fall wardrobe staple. Just check out these strap-happy boots. (Also appropriate for any of you steampunks out there - Maybe I’ll see ya at Steam-con this fall.)

Fergalicious ‘Skeeter’ in brown or black; $69.99 $89.99.

Now, I just have to double-check to see if I can fit a couple of these into this month’s budget. After all, I’ve been good. I haven’t purchased a new pair of shoes since May (quite an acheivement for a lady who’s had periods where she averaged four new pairs of shoes per month)…..and that includes my recent trip to Las Vegas.

What do ya think?

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Okay, I have had a mad, crazy, lustful, crush on Roger Vivier’s Rose-n-Roll stilettos since I first saw photos of them in vivid blue at an online fashion forum late last year (Since then, seen on other blogs):

(Photo source: www.luxist.com)

Aren’t these just the most romantic shoe? I am so put in mind of Sleeping Beauty; wouldn’t these be perfect for the princess waking from her enchanted sleep?

But, alas, at £830, these beauties were never remotely anything more than a sweet and distant dream for this particular shoeblogger.

Anyway, in the process of searching for a photo of these rose-thorned stilettos to share with you, I encountered not only an affordable (and obviously inspired) style by Leg Avenue, but also a fabulous (and fabulously expensive) rose-themed shoe by Mai Lamore which pre-dates the Vivier sandals by about a year.

So, for your amusement (and thanks to Polyvore for the searchable fashion engine and set editor that created this collage), I present a small example of shoe evolution in action:

At top center, Mai Lamore’s $27,945 rose shoe has a 14K covered sculptured stiletto -  as well as hand-dyed silk rose petals at the heel; these breathtaking shoes were found in a 2007 issue of Elite Traveler.

At the bottom left are the previously mentioned Roger Vivier shoes from the 2008 fall/winter collection; this time shown in a red-and-black color combination (many other colors and combinations were produced).

At bottom right, are the Leg Avenue look-alikes to the Vivier silhouette. The Leg Avenue ‘Sangria’; these will run you $31.62-$58.32 at the Amazon Marketplace. A closed-toe pump version; the Leg Avenue ‘Thorn’ is also available for $38.95 at Shoebuy.com.

So, now I just need to find a little bit of budge in my budget. After all, how much closer am I likely to get than this to the dream shoe I drew back in October of 2008 - months before I ever set eye on any of the styles shown above.

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